We bought this Dyson as a Christmas present for my daughter who had not long turned 1 at the time. She enjoyed copying and helping with household tasks so we thought this would be a perfect toy/distraction for when I'm cleaning! We'll have had it for two years this Christmas and my daughter still drags it out the cupboard most times I hoover and it seems the older she gets the more she's playing with it!
We bought it from Argos at a cost of £19.99 which I believe is still the same price they sell it for. The toy is made from hard plastic with a clear plastic cylinder containing small multicoloured balls. These spin around when switched on, mimicking the real version, and there is a working vacuum which the product description states can actually pick up small things, however I'm not aware that my daughters has ever picked up anything! Other similarities to the actual hoover are that it has a detachable wand with three nozzle ends and the bottom hoover part moves allowing it to glide across the floor!
The toy requires 4 x C batteries, which seem to last a good amount of time, but it can be used without batteries, it just means there's no sound or spinning balls!
The Dyson has been well worth its money and still works, despite all the rough and tumble its been through. My 5 year old nephew plays with it often as well as my daughter so its suitable for both girls and boys and is a nice thing to have around the house. The only downside I can think of is that when the vacuum is left on without you knowing you can spend a good few minutes searching for a sound only to realise its coming from this!